Following Amazon’s new device-level block on piracy apps—part of a coordinated effort with entities like the Premier League and Sky—security experts are issuing three major warnings to illegal streaming users: the high risk of malware infection from alternative sites, the danger of using “cracked” devices that can be co-opted into botnets, and the threat posed by untrustworthy free VPNs.
Authorities, alongside industry players like Sky and the Premier League, have intensified their fight against illegal streaming, prompting Amazon to deploy a new device-level block that prevents unauthorized piracy apps from loading on Fire TV Sticks. This ban is driving users to seek risky workarounds, leading security experts to issue three stern warnings.
First, trying to bypass the block by downloading pirated content from alternative, “shady sites” dramatically increases the risk of malware and viruses infecting the device and compromising personal data. Second, purchasing “cracked” or modified Fire Sticks that are preloaded with illegal apps can expose the user to devices that contain malware or are used in botnets, which also carries serious legal consequences. Finally, using unvetted free VPNs to mask piracy is highly discouraged, as these services must find income elsewhere and may compromise user privacy to do so.